Apparatus for administering oxygen



March16,1943. J. KREISELMAN 2,

APPARATUS FOR ADMINISTERING OXYGEN Original Filed Oct. 31, 1940 theoutside atmosphere.

8. face-piece of relatively small size is employed,

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 APPARATUS ron amnmsrnams oxrGnN JosephKreiselman, Washington, D. 0., asslgnor to Air Reduction Oompany,Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Substituted forabandoned application Serial No. 363,773, October 31, 1940. Thisapplication June 30, 1942, Serial No. 449,127

.2 Claims. (01. 128-205) This invention relates to apparatus foradministering oxygen for medicinal purposes, or for the administrationof oxygen containing gases,

and relates particularly to oxygen administering apparatus of theportable type, including a face piece for maintaining a relatively smallbody or reservoir of oxygen or oxygen containing gas immediately beforeand around the nos and mouth of the patient.

Various portablelappliances forthe administration of oxygen haveheretofore been designed or suggested, and are now in common use forpurposes of resuscitation or whenever it is desured to supply to-apatient oxygen in greater concentration than in atmospheric air.Apparatus of the portable type and embodying face-v pieces may becontrasted with apparatus of larger size such as those which includehead enveloping tents or even rooms in which patients may be placed. Acharacteristic of the tent or room type of oxygen administeringapparatus is that there is no likelihood that the regular breathing-ofthe patient may be interrupted or retarded by mechanical failure, thebody of oxygen available to the patient at all times being relativelylarge.

In an apparatus which includes a face-piece which seals oil thsurrounding atmosphere from the nose and mouth of the patient, there isalways the possibility that, through some stoppage, it may be madeimpossible for the patient either to receive an adequate supply of thegas there is no possibility that the patients breathing may be checked,even though the supply of oxygen may fail. i

A further purpose of the invention is to provide, in a face-piece of thetype just above described, means which ensures the least possiblewastage of the gas being administered. It will be appreciated, ofcourse, that in a face-piece the interior of which is always incommunication with the surrounding atmosphere, there is the possibilitythat much of the oxygen introduced into the face-piece may be wastedinstead of being usefully employed. In accordance with the presentinvention, however, this tendency toward wastage is minimized, aregulated current of oxygen being introduced in such manner that itflows directly to the vicinity of the nose and mouth of the patient anda baflie being employed to direct any atmospheric air which may behospitals, firstaid stations, and the like, but may also badvantageously employed by aviators and being administeredor of theatmospheric air, to

- results being sometimes most serious.

A purpose of the present invention is to provide, to be used inapparatus for administering oxygen or like gases to a patient under anycircumstances, a face-piece which is so designed that the patient willactually receive the gas which is being administered in a substantiallyuncontaminated condition but which is so designed and constructed thatthe lungs of the patient are at all times in communication with In otherwords, while it does not comprise a seal which wholly interruptscommunication between the patient's lungs and the outside atmosphere. Novalves are employed and the device is so constructed that others whoreach high altitudes, likewise by the operators of undersea craft. Infact, the improved apparatus, by reason of its extreme simplicity, maybe employed in almost anyinstance where it is desired to administeroxygen, no

skilled operator being required. It may be fabricated at low cost, iscompact, rugged, and. may

be conveniently stored ready for use in small space. One formof'the'face-piece is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing,.in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are front and rear elevations of the face-piece,respectively; and

Figure 3 shows the face-piece in section, the section being taken alongthe line 33 of Figure 1, the profile of the face of a patient or userbeing indicated in dotted lines.

The bodyor shell of the face-piece is indicated generally at It) andcomprises a metallic member I I which may be said to be roughlyfrusto-conienlarged outer edge of which, indicated at l2, comprises aface engaging cushioned edge for the face-piece, adapted to make closecontact with the face of a patient or user.

The annular edge of the liner l2, at the small end thereof, is retainedbetween two flanges l3, and I3 of a generally cylindrical member l3, theflange I 3' being frusto-conical, as shown, and the flange l3 disposedin a plane normal to the axis of the member 13. The outward end'of the,cylinder I3 i threaded and receives a nut II which may be designated aclamping nut since it is intended to cooperate with the stationaryflange 13 in clamping the sheet metal member II in the position shown.The interior of the cylinder I3 is truly cylindrical and receives with aclose sliding flt one end of a second'generally cylindrical member l5,both ends of which are open as illustrated. Member I5 is provided at onepoint with a lateral tubular'extension l6, which is preferably integralwith the tubular member, and to the outer end of this lateral extensionis detachably connected the end of a flexible conduit ll the other endof which may be connected to an oxygen flask, suitable regulating andcut-ofi valves being interposed between the face-piece and flask.Afiixed to member I5 is the oxygen duct or conduit 18, this conduitbeing preferably attached in the manner indicated,

having one end tightly pressed into a countersink formed in the innerend of the conduit [6, the major portion of duct l8 extending axially ofthe tubular member [5 and terminating at a point just within the body ofthe face-piece, as shown. Encircling this inner end of the oxygenconduit l8, and supported thereon, is a short cylindrical element 20which in turn serves as a supporting base for the baffle 2|, this baiilebeing frusto-conical in form as shown. At the outer end of the tubularmember l5, and bridging the axial aperture 15' is a bar 22 which servesto prevent accidental blocking of the aperture, and likewise constitutesa means to be engaged by a hook for suspending the face-piece when notin use.

Preferably the cylindrical member I5 is readily detachable from theremainder of the face-piece, to facilitate sterilization, and it isdesirable to have the bafiie adjustable with respect to the fiange 13,as in the embodiment illustrated, in order that the resistance to flowof gas through the tubular member ,I 5 maybe regulated and the positionof the oxygen discharge port relatively to the users face, varied withinlimits.

When the face-piece is in the position in which it is shown in Figure 3,in relation to the head of a patient or user, the face engaging edge ofthe face-piece will substantially seal ofi the space within theface-piece from the external atmosphere insofar as communication betweenthe edge of the face-piece and the wearers face is concerned. However,the interior of the facepiece is always in communication with theatmosphere, the tube l5 being always open at its outer as well as at itsinner end. A controlled current of oxygen will be allowed to flowthrough the oxygen line described into the interior of the face-piece,so long as the device is in use, the oxygen current issuing from themouth of the tube 18 and passing directly toward the nose and mouth ofthe wearer of the face-piece so that, when the wearer inhales, he willinhale practically pure oxygen.

The rate of flow of oxygen may be regulated so as to provide the patientwith as much oxygen as he needs while breathing normally. Should thepatient's breathing be irregular, however, and should he withdraw fromthe face-piece at one inhalation an unusually large volume of gas, hemay exhaust all of the oxygen from the facepiece and also draw in acertain amount of atmospheric air. However, the oxygen will be inhaledfirst because it is close to the patients nose and mouth, any air beingdrawn in being deflected by the baflie 2| outwardly and away from thepatient's nose. When expiration occurs,

a certain portion of the incoming oxygen may be forced out through theaperture l5 in the end of the tubular member 15, but by carefullyregulating the inflow of oxygen to the patient 's needs, the loss may beminimized. Despite the possible loss of oxygen, however,.the greatadvantage of having at hand an oxygen administering appliance whichcannot fail to operate as long as the oxygen supply is uninterruptedrenders the facepiece of great utility for many purposes. Naturally,minor changes in design may be effected without substantially modifyingthe functioning of the device and that form of the face-piece i1-lustrated and described is but one of a number which embody theinvention.

This application is a substitute for my prior application, Serial No.363,773, filed October 31,

1940 which became abandoned January 17, 1942.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for administering oxygen or like gas, a face-piecehaving the shape of a hollow shell the edge of which is formed to restagainst the face of a patient and to encircle his nose and mouth, andthe body or wall of which substantially seals off from the atmosphere,when the face-piece is in use, a restricted space from which the patientwill draw breath, said wall or body having an aperture formed therein ata point remote from 'said face engaging edge, a tubular member beingsecured in said aperture the ends of which are open and the axis ofwhich is disposed substantially normally to the plane of the faceengaging edge, the diameter of said tube being suflicientiy great toinsure free breathing at all times, a conduit extending axially of saidmember for leading oxygen to a point of discharge adjacent the inner endof said member, and a baflle mounted on the inner end of said conduit,for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus for administering oxygen or like gas, a face-piecehaving the shape of a hollow shell the edge of which is formed to restagainst the face of a patient and to encircle his nose and mouth, andthe body or wall of which substantially seals off from the atmosphere,when the face-piece is in use, a restricted space from which the patientwill draw breath,'said wall or body having an aperture formed therein ata point remote from said face engaging edge, a tubular member beingsecured in said aperture the ends of which are open and the axis ofwhich is disposed substantially normally to the plane of the face

